APPROPRIATE & APPLY!
Pastor Larry Gatlin,
So Oregon
While reading
an article from a well-known Christian publisher, I came across a thought that
immediately caught my attention.
The writer
referred to the fact that often we know the scriptures but we fail to apply
them or appropriate them for our lives.
Paul was
dedicated to the infallibility of the Word of God.
2 Tim 3:15-17
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works.” KJV
In reading this scripture we must realize that Paul believed that the Word of
God is exactly what we need in every situation we face in life.
People today
often run from one source to another looking for just the right answer for
their lives. But, what if we started, rather than running all over the place,
with the Word of God? Could it be that by looking into Gods Love Letters we
might find the exact answer we're looking for? Could it be that God, our
heavenly Father, really does know best and has already supplied the perfect
solution for us in His Word? Well, I say, Yes He has!
Knowledge of
the scriptures is never a guarantee that we will appropriate them, as we
should.
I'm certain all
of our lives are filled with situations that have taken place where we can look
back and see that if we had applied the Word of God we would have had
experienced the intervening hand of God. But instead we pushed our way through
only to realize later that we had never really appropriated the promises of God
for our lives. We only looked at them.
Why is it, that we so often do we experience this type of thing? I believe it
is because we tend to lean on our own understanding and abilities rather than
turning to God and his Word.
Let's look at
what the Word has to say about our understanding.
Proverbs 3:5-8
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy
paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”
Proverbs 3:13
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding”.
Truly the word
of God can and will lead us into understanding. But it only happens when we
apply the Word to every situation we face in life.
How does the
Word work in our lives? Well let's turn our attention to the third Gospel.
Luke 8:11 Now
the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
We all know
that this is the parable of the SOWER. What was the progression?
1. The
sower went out to sow.
2. Some
seed fell;
a. By the way side and it was walked on and the birds ate it.
b. On rocky soil and the weather and elements destroyed it.
c. Into thorns and it was choked out.
d. On good soil and it produced a hundredfold harvest.
3. The
seed was the same it was the Word of God.
a. What made the difference was how it was applied.
b. When the Word is not properly applied it is like the seed planted on the
roadside, the rocks or the thorns. It will never produce a harvest.
c. The sower had the Word but he never really took the time to nurture it in
his life and to appropriate it in every situation.
d. But when he turned to the good soil and took the time to properly nurture
and apply the Word to his life, BAM, he received a hundredfold harvest.
It is crucial
in the times we are living in that we all take the time to properly apply and
appropriate the Word of God for our lives.
Never take the
Word for granted and never think that because you have knowledge of the
Word that - that in and of itself is enough. We must always be diligent in
appropriating and applying the Word of God in all of life's situations.
NO MATTER WHAT
YOU FACE IN LIFE, THE WORD OF GOD HAS JUST THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR YOU. ALL
YOU HAVE TO DO IS, APPROPRIATE AND APPLY IT FOR YOUR SELF.
PASTOR LARRY
